UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES

Today's Ride:

26.4 miles

Bryce-Pima Loop

1 hour 31 minutes

69° F., clear, calm

Wednesday's Ride:

27.8 miles

San Jose out & back

1 hour 39 minutes

68° F., clear

I knew it would happen some day. Frankly, I'm surprised it has taken until this week.

I was riding eastward through the small village of Solomon located about 10 miles east of Thatcher. Solomon, sometimes called Solomonville, is a friendly village with several unfriendly dogs. But there are also a few dogs that enjoy chasing a cyclist just for the sport of it. They do not have evil intentions.

One such dog, a small white pooch of unknowable breed, spied me approaching on my red bike. I could see his eyes focused on me with anticipation as I rode into his territory on the road in front of his owner's house.

I could also see that the look in his eyes said, "I'm going to chase you and I'm going to bark at you but I am not going to bite your leg. I'm not that kind of dog."

He came after me with laser-like concentration knowing that this just might be the highlight of his day.

What he didn't see was the large white pickup truck coming in our direction in the other lane.

The truck ran over the dog.

I don't know what the final outcome was for the dog. The dog yelped loudly and struggled to stand up but then seemed to regain his strength and took off running back to his house.

By the time I rode back to the accident site, I could no longer see or hear him.

If there is a lesson to be learned from this incident I suppose it might be that our actions sometimes have unintended consequences. The temptation to chase was just too much for the dog to withstand. But he did not take all of the circumstances and outcomes of his decision into consideration. He was blindsided.

It's a good experience to remember when we are excited (or tempted) to pursue a particular course of action.

Look before we chase.

Happy riding.

Thatcher Eagles 42 -- Morenci Wildcats 6

Jacob's pick-six to end the game -- the last touchdown scored by the Thatcher Eagles in their regular season. Playoffs coming up next on Friday vs. St. Johns at St. Johns.

Eagle Football -- The Season Begins

You can sense it from the lengthening shadows leaning northward to the shortening of the days and the moderating of the temperatures -- fall is in the air. And so are the footballs.

Jacob's Thatcher Eagles took the field for the first time this season last night -- even though it was only a scrimmage against Tombstone Yellow Jackets. Here are some pictorial highlights...

No score was kept, but the coaches seemed satisfied with the effort. The season begins in earnest next Friday night with the first game. Not sure of the opponent.

This is Jacob's last hurrah on the gridiron so he's hoping to make the most of it. He should see more playing time on offense and defense. It's anyone's guess how the team will do this year.